2021-07-31-accounts - Co-Gas Safety, The Carbon Monoxide And Gas Safety Society

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Registered number 03084435

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society

Report and Accounts

31 July 2021

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Report and accounts Contents

	Page
Company information	1
Directors' report	2
Accountants' report	3
Profit and loss account	4
Balance sheet	5
Notes to the accounts	6

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Company Information

Directors

Stephanie Trotter O.B.E Jim Lambeth Olivia Murray Irma O'Leary Paul Overton Andrew Rosindell MP Susan Westwood

Reporting accountants

Holmes & Co Ltd 10 Torrington Road Claygate Esher Surrey KT10 0SA

Bankers

Barclays Bank plc 8/12 Church Street, Walton on Thames Surrey KT12 2YW

Registered office

Priory Cottage South Priory Road Seaview Isle of Wight PO34 5BU

Legal Status

Company limited by guarantee, registered as a charity

The object of the Charity is to protect and preserve the health and safety of persons throughout the world and in particular to (1) promote research into the causes of death and injury from gas and carbon monoxide and publish the useful results of such research; and (2) to inform the public as to the dangers of and methods of preventing such death and injury, and 3) help victims and their families.

Registered number

03084435

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Registered number: 03084435 Directors' Report

The directors present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 July 2021.

Principal activities

The company's principal objective during the year was to act to prevent death and injury from carbon monoxide poisoning and other fuel dangers

Directors

The following persons served as directors during the year:

Stephanie Trotter O.B.E Jim Lambeth Olivia Murray Irma O'Leary Paul Overton Andrew Rosindell MP Susan Westwood

Small company provisions

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

This report was approved by the board on 4 November 2021 and signed on its behalf.

S L Trotter O.B.E Director

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Accountants' Report

Accountants' report to the directors of Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society

You consider that the company is exempt from an audit for the year ended 31 July 2021. You have acknowledged, on the balance sheet, your responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts. These responsibilities include preparing accounts that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company at the end of the financial year and of its profit or loss for the financial year.

In accordance with your instructions, we have prepared the accounts which comprise the Profit and Loss Account, the Balance Sheet and the related notes from the accounting records of the company and on the basis of information and explanations you have given to us.

We have not carried out an audit or any other review, and consequently we do not express any opinion on these accounts.

Holmes & Co Ltd Chartered Accountants

10 Torrington Road Claygate Esher Surrey KT10 0SA

4 November 2021

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Profit and Loss Account for the year ended 31 July 2021

Income Administrative expenses Income over Expenditure (deficit)/surplus Interest receivable (Deficit) / Surplus for the year Transfer (deficit) / surplus to General Fund	2021 £ 133,735 (22,586) 111,149 5 111,154 111,154	2020 £ 17,180 (23,166) (5,986) - (5,986) (5,986)

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Registered number: 03084435 Balance Sheet as at 31 July 2021

Notes Fixed assets Current assets Debtors 2 Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 3 Net current assets Net assets Capital and reserves General Fund Shareholder's funds	1,142 111,976 113,118 -	2021 £ 113,118 113,118 113,118 113,118	2020 £ 1,103 1,679 2,782 (818) 1,964 1,964 1,964 1,964

The directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the requirement to obtain an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.

The member has not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Act.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

The accounts have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The profit and loss account has not been delivered to the Registrar of Companies.

S L Trotter O.B.E Director Approved by the board on 4 November 2021

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2021

1 Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with FRS 102, The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (as applied to small entities by section 1A of the standard).

2 Debtors Prepayments 3 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Trade creditors	2021 £ 1,142 2021 £ -	2020 £ 1,103 2020 £ 818

4 Other information

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society is a private limited company, incorporated in England, and a registered charity. Its registered office is: Priory Cottage South

Priory Road

Seaview

Isle of Wight PO34 5BU

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Detailed profit and loss account for the year ended 31 July 2021

This schedule does not form part of the statutory accounts

Income Donations (Kane Intl) Donations (Npower) Donations ( Charles Schwab) Donations (Guild of Master Sweeps) Donations (other) Administrative expenses Travel (incl. victims' relatives) General administrative expenses: Telephone and fax Stationery, post and printing Press cuttings bureau Data collection Subscriptions Computer equipment & website Storage Sundry expenses Legal and professional costs: Accountancy fees Advertising and PR Insurance	2021 £ 5,000 28,671 100,000 - 64 133,735 42 770 1,485 1,678 7,160 122 6,154 1,195 9 18,573 1,743 1,296 932 3,971 22,586	2020 £ 15,000 - - 2,150 30 17,180 1,501 829 4,460 1,761 9,279 122 1,793 1,255 227 19,726 - 1,040 899 1,939 23,166

Co- Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society Business Review

for the year ended 31 July 2021

During 2020-21 CO-Gas Safety continued to work despite lockdown.

A full list can be found at https://www.co-gassafety.co.uk/information/list-of-work-done/

Stephanie and the work group particularly Sue Westwood and Paul Overton have worked very hard, but it has been extremely difficult to make any real progress.

However, the charity had some excellent donations this year which are featured in the accounts and the charity is extremely grateful. The charity continues to greatly value funding and moral support from the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps.

The charity continued its work of trying to help survivors and families, but the work was hampered because as usual, most survivors lack of proof of exposure to carbon monoxide (CO). This was not only with regard to the lack of a free test, ideally by the gas emergency service but also a seemingly complete lack of expert investigators. The problem seems to be that those experts we used to ask to undertake this work, have either sadly died or retired. All the others seem not willing to work for us or our survivors although we have the funds to pay for this now.

A great deal of time was taken during the year trying to find a good media company to make some good awareness raising videos. When they seem good their estimate then increases by about 3 to 5 times and that’s just to make the film not to undertake the distribution.

The directors considered putting an e-learning course together and sought quotes for this.

The directors spent a lot of time and effort trying to persuade Baroness Finlay to write to the Minister for the HSE, Mims Davies MP asking that HSE state that testing is a safety issue. Ofgem had told CO-Gas Safety that if HSE stated testing was a safety issue then Ofgem would find the funds for the GDNs to do this. Baroness Finlay did write but to the Minister for HSE but sadly, only as director of CORT (was the CORGI Trust), not as co-chair of APPCOG.

Stephanie spent time preparing a briefing note for Baroness Finlay to send to the Minister.

During August 2020 Stephanie corresponded with various people to obtain support letters for our submission to Ofgem about RIIO-2 to justify testing and in response to a Consultative Document.

12.08.20 Stephanie submitted some questions to Centrica’s shareholder meetings asking Centrica/British Gas to please pay for and raise more awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning? Also, free and/or paid testing for CO and support for survivors and families. This is particularly relevant now as the symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to any virus, including Covid19. Stephanie said she hoped other members of the fuel industry would also contribute.

During August and September Stephanie and the work group of directors spent a lot of time and energy seeking support for a submission and response to the CD about RIIO-2 about the need for relighting gas appliances and testing the air for CO under BS 7967.

12.08.20 Stephanie and Jenny attended a virtual gas safe charity workshop by Bath and Main. It was very good and informative. This inspired us to think about creating our own e-learning course.

Time was taken to start a CO awareness competition going in Jersey. Phil Burrows of Cadent was very helpful and allowed us to use the Safety Seymour materials.

31.08.20 Stephanie wrote to the Alzheimer’s Association International thanking the Association for the toolkit and saying how pleased we were about the part on prevention. But that we are disappointed that indoor pollution was not mentioned – indoor pollution is much easier to control and is more concentrated so it’s vital to raise awareness of this. Brits spend over 90% of their time indoors, so it could really make a huge difference to prevention.

08.09.20 Stephanie talked to Matt Cole of npower about some funding npower might be providing for us. Matt has been fantastic and provided the charity with some funding from npower which has closed down.

07.09.20 Having got a dispensation from Ofgem, Stephanie sent the response to Ofgem before 9.00 a.m. We stated that the £30 million UIOLI allowance isn’t nearly enough and that any consumer exposed to CO is vulnerable. We also submitted a response to Ofgem’s reply that there was no justification for imposing testing on the gas emergency service.

10.09.20 Stephanie attended the board meeting of APPCOG (The All Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group which was in fact and reality was only Barry Sheerman MP with the occasional presence of one other MP). At the end of this board meeting Stephanie was allowed to give her presentation. But by then no member of the board was present so initially she said there wasn’t much point, but the stakeholders suggested she continued so she did. However, this presentation was not to the MPs which is what CO-Gas Safety had requested.

In September time was taken trying to persuade The All Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) to listen to our arguments about the need for testing for CO and also victim support. This took up a huge amount of time and the charity did not consider our concerns were properly listened to by those,(i.e. the MPs), who could take action.

18.09.20 Stephanie was contacted by Maureen McIntosh and Kerry Potter of SGN to arrange a date and time for a chat. Stephanie sent various documents and materials including the ‘Comic’ Strip showing the consequence to a survivor who is exposed to CO being unable to prove this even to their medics and family. In the end the conversation took place on the 22.09.20 with a zoom meeting with SGN on the 2nd November.

22.09.20 Stephanie wrote to Adrian McConnell of the GST re their meeting by zoom on 16th September with regard to persuading the GDNs to release anonymised data.

22.09.20 Stephanie had a good conversation with Kerry Potter of SGN and thought Kerry understood what consumers who have been exposed to CO experience and what they need. Kerry has had her own experience of CO and has provided a case study which is now on our website https://www.co-gassafety.co.uk/case-studies/ and is fantastic.

01.10.20 APPCOG (The All Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group) meeting on zoom. Stephanie’s item was last on the agenda again, although this mattered less for this meeting, which was only the stakeholder group not the board meeting of the MPs who are members of APPCOG. We again advocated for relighting and testing the air for CO under BS7967.

Rebecca Scarlett also joined and made a very valuable contribution by telling the group about her experience of being exposed to CO and how the medics had reacted which was not helpful. She followed this up with a letter to Nat, the manager of APPCOG, and asked him to send this to all members of the stakeholder group.

Various meetings with the GDNs were attended in October and November.

14.11.20 Stephanie put an interesting blog on news part of website.

‘Fail! Survey finds shocking number of unsafe gas boilers in the UK including the private rented sector.’ https://centralhousinggroup.com/fail-survey-finds-shocking-number-of-unsafe-gas-boilers-in-uk-including-withinprs/ One fifth of those questioned didn’t know that an annual service was recommended

17.11.20 Stephanie attended IGEM’s virtual conference. It seems that gas will be around in homes for many years and possibly decades to come. However, the outlook for hydrogen is very hopeful.

21.10.20 ITV interview by Sue Westwood, trustee & director countrywide about her experience of CO

23.11.20 Sue Westwood gave a BBC Radio Manchester interview.

25.11.20 Stephanie had a Zoom call with Chris Anderson of TED Talks – Ideas worth spreading. It was so good to meet him at last albeit virtually. Stephanie would have travelled to London to see him and met him in a park as he suggested but it was too soon after her husband John had his burst appendix with gangrene removed on the 18th November, so it had to be a virtual meeting. Chris tragically lost his daughter Zoe, aged 24 in 2010 in the family home in Bath to CO caused when a registered gas engineer failed to connect the flue of the new boiler.

08.12.20 & 09.12.20 Stephanie attended some parts of the GDN (Gas Distribution Networks who run the gas emergency service) conference.

14.12.20 Stephanie and Sue Westwood had a zoom meeting with Neil Atkinson, the CEO of IGEM. The main purpose of this was to discuss the fact that the gas emergency service did not test gas appliances for CO, and it was almost impossible for an ordinary survivor to obtain such a test of gas appliances. We also discussed the training of Registered Gas Engineers. Stephanie asked Roland Johns to contact Neil about our course on CO for RGEs and he did so. On 15.12.20 Stephanie sent an aide memoire of this meeting.

18.12.20 Stephanie signed the accounts and sent them to the accountant who filed them.

05.01.21 Stephanie received an email from Neil Atkinson. ‘Ian has just reminded me that the SGN Oban report is a thorough study: https://sgn.co.uk/sites/default/files/media-entities/documents/2019-07/SGN-Oban-GasMarket-Report-Full-Report-2016.pdf which apparently concluded that appliance maintenance, servicing and replacement when required produces a 7-fold reduction in the absolute risk.

As poorly maintained gas appliances increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and gas leaks reminding the public of the importance of staying gas safe and having their gas appliances (heating, fires, cookers) serviced regularly by a Gas Safe Registered engineer is a key message.’

During the year Stephanie has tried to support many survivors particularly Patricia Rouncefield. https://nearlylegal.co.uk/2020/0/the-trecarrell-conundrum/ and https://www.lambchambers.co.uk/latest-news/property-trecarrell-house-ltd-v-rouncefield-2020-ewcaciv-760/and https://www.lambchambers.co.uk/latest-news/property-trecarrell-house-ltd-v-rouncefield2020-ewca-civ-760/

18.01.21 & 25.01.21Stephanie wrote to Mims Davies MP Minister of the HSE to ask her to implement the original recommendations made by HSC in 2000 and that this would improve HSE’s moral. Although this letter was acknowledged we did not receive an answer.

During January Stephanie prepared the report of the year and checked the data ably compiled by Jennifer Wood.

During February Neil Atkinson CEO of IGEM assured Stephanie that CO-Gas Safety would be asked to talk at the safety conference.

Stephanie and Margaret Jeffery worked on the competition in Jersey and had some zoom meetings with officials there who were very helpful.

04.03.21 Stephanie Trotter attended the Stakeholder meeting of APPCOG and gave an update of our work. Baroness Finlay there at the start but otherwise no members of Parliament were present.

During March Stephanie applied for funding to EIC but in the end we had to withdraw because our work although within the terms drawn up by Ofgem, were excluded by the terms drawn up by EIC.

25.03.21 Stephanie had a very good meeting with Stephanie Peacock MP over Teams. Stephanie wrote to her and her researcher and sent lots of documents. We discussed APPCOG.

16.03.21 Round table on CO – putting safer heating at the heart of building renovations. Stephanie attended this meeting.

01.04.21 Stephanie attended the APPCOG meeting chaired by Baroness Finlay which was all about data. Had sent her an email the night before about the need to test for CO if the data was to be collected accurately. How can data be collected and used if there is no testing for CO? This issue seemed to be largely ignored at the meeting despite Stephanie trying to raise it.

13.04.21 Stephanie wrote to the Chief Coroner about a case concerning a man who could have died of CO in February. The deceased’s brother asked the Coroner to test for CO because the gas boiler for the building (8 rooms with a communal laundry room where the boiler was situated next door to the deceased’s room) had had work done on the boiler a few days before the death of the deceased. The pathologist refused to test for CO because he said the blood was ‘the wrong colour’. Stephanie managed to persuade the Coroner to ask for a test, but it took weeks. The Coroner’s officer told Stephanie that if the police had asked for a test, it could take four months or longer if the police forgets to send the samples. Stephanie considered this wasn’t good enough, particularly where others could be at risk. This is an example of how helping survivors finds problems that could be solved.

14.04.21 Stephanie had a Teams meeting with Andy Speake of AICO and also his marketing colleague Alex Garmston about the fact that the AICO CO alarm can have its data downloaded onto a smart phone. We discussed how to make sure this was easy for people to understand and will be making a film. Sadly, Sue Westwood wasn’t able to attend this meeting as she was unwell after a Covid-19 jab.

15.04.21 Stephanie had a virtual meeting with Roland Johns to update the course he put together with help from the original PPP for schools and huge help from John O’Leary who very kindly made new drawings where needed. Stephanie sent updated charts and statistics to Roland.

21.04.21 Stephanie gave a talk at the cross departmental committee of civil servants about CO. Gordon Samuel made a good point about a neighbour a medic who worked at St Georges saying ‘maybe lots of elderly people rushed in with respiratory problems were really CO. So why isn’t this followed up with testing at the homes of such people? Are they being allowed to go home without being told to at least ring the gas emergency service?’

21.04.21 Stephanie Peacock MP gave her adjournment debate in the House of Commons see https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-04-21/debates/4DEC2B32-5920-4923-B969E1FC5B2DF929/CarbonMonoxideSafetyTestingAndAwareness Stephanie circulated this.

29.04.21 Stephanie Peacock MP kindly agreed to be CO-Gas Safety’s Labour party Parliamentary friend.

During May Stephanie related with various victims and families. One was in the USA and had lost her nine year old son to open air carbon monoxide poisoning.

Stephanie wrote to Baroness Finlay about the urgency of testing dead bodies and the gas appliances of survivors for CO. That without testing there is no data, and without data there is no change and improvement.

Stephanie tried to find an independent gas expert court witness for a survivor. All seem to have retired except for CORGI Technical. IGEM is kindly putting out a call for such experts. However, this ultimately provided no experts although the charity can now pay for this service.

Stephanie having related with Linda Mee of IGEM sent out details of talk at IGEM on 09.06.21 to survivors. IGEM will allow them to attend free which is very helpful so Stephanie sent out an email to many contacts.

Stephanie heard about another media company.

Stephanie also wrote the terms and conditions of the Off-Griders’ competition.

Stephanie also gave a talk to some people about carbon monoxide arranged by Karen Lock of Bucks Fire & Rescue. They were a really great audience and asked some excellent questions.

Stephanie found our submission about All Party Parliamentary Groups had been published on the House of Commons website. See https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/290/committee-on-standards/publications/

18.05.21 Stephanie had a very helpful chat with Adam Scorer of NEA (National Energy Action).

During June Stephanie sent a report to Laura Fatah about what CO-Gas Safety had been doing lately as this hadn’t been approved by the work group, before the APPCOG meeting. Stephanie also chased up a case study.

03.06.21 Stephanie had a zoom meeting with Matt Murphy, BBC journalist writing an article about the inquiry into All Party Groups. Frank Brehany also attended.

09.06.21 Stephanie gave talk at the IGEM Safety conference (virtually of course see https://www.co gassafety.co.uk/resources/presentations/) Trotter had tried three times to get used to Hopin the software IGEM uses and had had help from Tip Top Computers who had never heard of Hopin but still found it very difficult. No questions were asked which was disappointing. The title of the talk was ‘Why testing for CO matters’. IGEM kindly allowed survivors to access free, but nobody seemed to have managed this, although several told Stephanie they had tried.

Stephanie worked on some case studies. Stephanie also received from Adrian McConnell a letter written by Baroness Finlay dated the 23.06.21 to Mims Davies MP asking the government to consider testing air for CO. This was brilliant news, but it was disappointing that she wrote only as Chair of the CO Research Trust not as a co-chair of APPCOG.

24.06.21 APPCOG meeting. Stephanie mentioned the need for testing because survivors find it so difficult to be believed by medics. Stephanie Peacock MP was present for the photo launch of raising CO awareness over the summer, which was good.

Stephanie had a very productive zoom meeting with the authorities in Jersey Pierre Chays, Linzi Duckworth and Robin Fitzgerald. They were all very helpful especially Pierre Chays Assistant Registrar of Shipping and Harbour Pilot. Pierre offered to make a film of himself on his boat as he’s found his CO alarm goes off when he starts his engine. All the members of this group have offered to print and distribute a flyer about the competition we’re running on Jersey and produce a special - Jersey edition of our leaflet. These are now on our website https://www.co - gassafety.co.uk/resources/competition jersey/

Stephanie had a good chat with Louise Baldock who is a Liverpool Councillor who tragically lost her fiancé to CO in 1999. Stephanie would like to work with Louise.

For the last three months, at least, Stephanie spent a lot of time selecting and talking to media companies. Sue Westwood has also helped with this.

During June Stephanie helped several survivors or tried to. It’s getting impossible to find a gas expert even paid thousands to investigate, test for CO and write a report.

Stephanie wrote to Laura Fatah, manager of Policy Connect re APPCOG and re her presentation about CO alarms for the IGEM conference which was very good.

30.06.21 Stephanie responded to Baroness Finlay.

06.07.21 Stephanie worked hard on the response to the CO data workshop held on 01.04.21 and notes sent at the end of April. Stephanie was too busy to do this until July.

08.07.21 Stephanie Trotter received approval from Stephanie Peacock’s office for her name to be on our notepaper in the form suggested.

08.07.21 Stephanie had a good meeting with Kerry Potter and Dan Edwards from SGN. Stephanie also had a hectic day dealing with flyer and special Jersey leaflet.

09.07.21 Stephanie sent Laura Fatah, manager of Policy Connect detailed comments on the CO Data Workshop held on the 1[st] April, notes sent towards the end of April. This was also sent to Baroness Finlay, Barry Sheerman MP and Peter Bottomley MP and also our directors and patron Lord Hunt. This was basically saying how can you have data on CO without testing for CO?

10.07.21 Stephanie sent a response to Laura Fatah who had pointed out that maybe CO-Gas Safety ought not to be continuing to lobby for testing the air and appliances for CO. Stephanie pointed out that CO-Gas Safety supports any measure that might help save lives or prevent injuries etc. even if it wasn’t top of CO-Gas Safety’s list, but that we had come back to testing because how else could awareness be raised and data collected?

Stephanie heard from the couple who had been poisoned in a BBQ hut. This is a new danger for us.

Stephanie had a call with James Brunt and Will Hammell with regard to putting an article in the House Magazine (House of Commons). Hard to work out whether it’s worth it or not and whether to go for print or online. James and Will very nice and were very helpful.

14.07.21 Coroner’s officer David Freeman asked if we knew any gas experts. Stephanie recommended CORGI Technical.

15.07.21 Stephanie emailed Adam John from Utility Week – recommended by Matt Cole. Later had a chat with him and sent a lot of documents to him.

19.07.21 Stephanie spoke to Stephen Iredale about his cut off system.

20.07.21 Stephanie finished email to Baroness Finlay and briefing note having had suggestions from the work group and sent it about midday.

21.07.21 By email Stephanie asked Andy Ogden from Morgan Lambert to confirm that Morgan Lambert can’t provide expert investigators to CO-Gas Safety and to give us reasons.

21.07.21 Stephanie emailed Coroner’s officer David Freeman from the Oxford Coroner’s court about experts and recommended Morgan Lambert although having checked Morgan Lambert and also Qualitas which is another branch (which works for Housing Associations and the like) say they can’t help CO-Gas Safety.

Stephanie emailed Kerry Potter to tell her that her case study was now on our website and thanked her again.